I've now built a little incubator using a styrofoam cooler, a glass lid and a 40 watt light. I keep the glass lid with a 2 inch gap to give air flow and regulate the temperature. I have a thermometer at the level of the eggs putting the temp at 100 degreens. The eggs are resting in an egg carton with a little layer of water under the egg carton for humidity. I rotate the eggs by hand 2-3xs per day. I moved all my eggs I was trying to hatch in the open to this contraption and I'm adding eggs as my hens are laying them. If I didn't ruin the first batch, I should have my first hatchlings in 10 days.

Jillberto - the Ziplock method utilizes either "sandwich-size" (for average leaves) or "snack-size" (for small leaves) Ziplock bags. As the "zip" is being closed, a small puff of breath at the opening inflates the bag so the plastic surface doesn't touch the leaf on top. Here in Wisconsin the leaf will stay "fresh" and pliable for long enough for the instar to be a manageable size. If a lot of humidity/condensate accumulates inside the bag, I blow into it the next day to freshen and dehumidify the inside. The first/second instars do sometimes wander off the leaf, but are not hard to locate in a closed bag. On a tangentially related topic, both early instars and juveniles seem to me to strongly prefer the underside of a milkweed leaf - no matter which side is up to start with. I sometimes wonder if I do them a disservice when I place the leaves with egg-side up in the bag or container, because the newborn then spends time searching for the edge of the leaf and working his/her way underneath. Also since the egg is almost always laid on the soft bottom of a leaf, if it's placed that side up for hatching, the new instar winds up underneath on the smoother, darker top of the leaf, which doesn't look as tender and palatable. But I suppose I'm fussing over details. Everything seems to work out well in the end.

Lisa, I thought that I read on this forum that some birds are more sensitive to disturbances than others. All I know about nest-box monitoring I learn from this forum. I respect and appreciate the efforts (and results!) of bluebird landlords, who reestablished EABBs in the eastern US. I do question, personally, the monitoring of other songbirds whose populations are not in trouble; my concern, also, is that some people, way less knowledgeable than the pros here, will think that they can and should monitor all nests, including cup nests. On the BWF, someone took a picture of almost fledged 'dees. I worry about flushing out chicks that age. Not that anyone knowledgeable on this forum would do it, but you all know your stuff. Many people glean information from forums instead of researching, and cannot keep their hands out of nests. Not that I am "scolding" anyone; it's just what I think of, as a visitor, when I come here. Not everyone knows there stuff. But I guess we can't help that. My instincts and background urge me to leave nests alone (except EABBs), because unknowingly, we create more trouble than help with birds that are doing well already, and need the experience of nesting failures to get them right in other tries. Although Janie's save is impossible to argue with!! But Janie, your gut (sorry for the metaphor) is greater than most other's : ) Which nest boxes then are you supposed to not check? Which species was I thinking of? Thanks!

Thanks everyone! I really don't think the male was just being scarce. I had been watching this pair for a week and a half before they started laying eggs. I would always see them together and I would always see both of them. If the female was in the nestbox, Dad sat outside watching. For all four eggs (being laid) Dad was there. If I went near the box I got scolded by both the male and the female. Then that one day as I was watching Mom just acted funny and that was when I realized I hadn't seen the male. Today was day five of not seeing him. I realized I could have missed him when watching but I really think if he had been around when I went down there he would of scolded me too, not just the mom. Now an update from today. I was watching and I saw a male BB! Watched them for a LONG time, lots and lots of wing waving going on by both but mostly the male. Mom would go in the nestbox, peek back out and then fly to the male who was in a tree near it, then she would go back in. She did stay in after awhile also and the male went to the nestbox at one point and peeked in. I went down during this and set some crickets out. Mom immediately went down to eat, male just watched and wing waved. When I went down there mom scolded me, the male did not. I think this is a new male but I guess I won't know for sure unless the eggs hatch and I find out if he feeds them or not, either that or if he gets her to start a new nest. What do you think?? I am going to post this question in a new thread too as I am curious what everyone thinks as to if this is a new male or not. Does wing waving happen during incubation by an established couple?? Donna